The History of Egypt Podcast

222: Peace Sells... But Who's Buying? The Egyptian-Hittite Treaty

The History of Egypt Podcast

Show Notes

The Egyptian-Hittite Treaty. In regnal year 21 (c.1272 BCE), Ramesses II announced a treaty with Hattusili III. The two kings united in "peace and brotherhood, forever," and agreed to a raft of provisions regarding their territories, vassals, rules-of-succession, and more.

As the first (surviving) treaty between the two Great Powers, the year 21 agreement is a landmark in the history of diplomacy. We explore the text and its impact...

Music: Luke Chaos.

Select References:

Altman, A. (2004). The Historical Prologue of the Hittite Vassal Treaties. Bar-Ilan University Press.

Beckman, G. (1999). Hittite Diplomatic Texts (2nd ed.). Society of Biblical Literature.

Bryce, T. (2006). The ‘Eternal Treaty’ from the Hittite Perspective. British Museum Studies in Ancient Egypt and Sudan, 6, 1--11. https://britishmuseum.iro.bl.uk/concern/generic_works/df640471-59dc-446d-8c35-0ba6db52bf19

Davis, D. (1990). An Early Treaty of Friendship Between Egypt and Hatti. The Bulletin of the Australian Centre for Egyptology, 1, 31--37.

Devecchi, E. (2015). Missing Treaties of the Hittites. Kaskal, 12, 155--182.

Edel, E. (1994). Die ägyptisch-hethitische Korrespondenz aus Boghazköi in babylonischer und hethitischer Sprache I: Umschriften und Übersetzungen. Westdeutscher Verlag.

Franzmeier, H. (2024). Netjerwymes alias Parekhnu in Piramesses. In A. Cooke, N. Nielsen, & G. Godenho (Eds.), Landscapes: Studies in Honour of Steven Snape (pp. 91--98). Abercromby Press.

Goodwin, C. W. (1875). Treaty of Peace Between Rameses II and the Hittites. Records of the Past, 4, 25--32.

Istanbul Archaeological Museum. (2017, June 25). TREATY OF KADESH. Istanbul Archaeological Museum. https://web.archive.org/web/20170625213912/http://www.istanbularkeoloji.gov.tr/web/30-125-1-1/muze_-_en/collections/ancient_orient_museum_artifacts/treaty_of_kadesh

Kitchen, K. A., & Paul, J. N. (2012). Treaty, Law and Covenant in the Ancient Near East. Harrassowitz Verlag.

Klengel, H. (2002). Hattuschili und Ramses: Hethiter und Ägypter—Ihr langer Weg zum Frieden. Philipp von Zabern.

Liverani, M. (1990). Prestige and Interest: International Relations in the Ancient Near East ca. 1600-1100 B.C. Sargon.

Singer, I. (2012). החוזה הראשון בין חתי למצרים / The First Treaty Between Hatti and Egypt. In S. Aḥituv, M. Gruber, G. Lehmann, & Z. Talshir (Eds.), All the Wisdom of the East: Studies in Near Eastern Archaeology and History in Honor of Eliezer D. Oren (p. 47*-55*). Academic Press; Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht.

Spalinger, A. J. (1981). Considerations on the Hittite Treaty Between Egypt and Hatti. Studien Zur Altägyptischen Kultur, 9, 299--358. https://www.jstor.org/stable/44323250

Sürenhagen, D. (2006). Forerunners of the Hattusili-Ramesses Treaty. British Museum Studies in Ancient Egypt and Sudan, 6, 59--67. https://britishmuseum.iro.bl.uk/concern/generic_works/df640471-59dc-446d-8c35-0ba6db52bf19 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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